


After the Hood

by NightingaleComics



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Batman - Fandom, Batman Comics, Red Hood and the Outlaws, Under the Hood - Fandom
Genre: Abigail 'Abby' Wayne, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Family, Gen, OFC - Freeform, Ohana, Own female character - Freeform, Ties that bind, Time Travel, canon pairings - Freeform, multi-universes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-22
Updated: 2016-01-16
Packaged: 2018-04-27 12:30:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 12,646
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5048602
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NightingaleComics/pseuds/NightingaleComics
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jason Todd is the Red Hood… Dick Grayson is Nightwing… They represent two sides of the same family. The golden boy and the black sheep. But with Dick's persistence and the girl who he considers a sister keep at it, well… It's not Jason's fault he doesn't want anything to do with family. But his siblings have a weird sense of <br/>Ohana: <br/>which means family: <br/>And Family doesn't get left behind or forgotten… Ever</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chasing Ghosts

Abigail threw the sniper rifle aside as she landed in the rubble. Her combat boots tossing up plumes of dust and debris as she scrambled towards the still figure that had once been Batman's greatest failure.

Green eyes frantically searched for injuries and wounds. She rolled him over and Jason groaned in protest, blue eyes blurred with pain.

"Jason?" She asked frantically trying to decide the state of his wounds.

"Don't let Eastside run rampart on you." Jason whispers as she helped him lean against what had once been a building.

"Eastside still belongs to you." She told him. "Give it a couple weeks, you'll be running the crime and Drug Lords again."

"Abigail," Jason's breath caught in his chest. "Stop…." He grabbed her wrist and shot a glare at his only friend. "I'm hurt…I need you. You're the only person that I trust to keep….Eastside in line."

Abigail's eyes widened. "Jason, I don't…. I can't….. Eastside only listens to the Red Hood, not Death's Mistress.

Jason's grip loosened. He used the last o hi strength to make one final command. "Do it, Abs. I need you to do this…..Please."

She heard Jason Todd, the one man that drove her crazy with worry. He had pushed, demanded, and scared his way through life actually use the word, 'please' and it broke her.

"Jason Toddy, don't you dare do this." Her eyes flashed dangerously, "I have come too far for you to let that sick Maniac win. You won't die tonight and you will control Eastside again. Do you understand me?"

Jason chuckled, grimacing. "You always were stubborn….. Just…. Let me go. Why is that so hard?"

"I am not losing you, Jason." Abigail ripped her sleeves and fastened a makeshift tourniquet on his thigh.

Jason's eyes dimmed with pain as Abigail tried to get him to respond. Her sharp ears picked up the dull rumble of an incoming plane. She was frantic, looking for a place to hide the two.

As she pulled Jason out of the open, out of all of the planes it could have been, the batwing landed between the other buildings that were still standing. Nightwing jumped out of the hatch.

Abigail froze, her body partially hidden in the shadows. Should she ask Batman or Nightwing for help? Knowing what Jason would want her to do and knowing that he'd die without help, put Abigail at war with herself.

Jason had explicitly told her not to trust anyone involved with Batman personally. As Abigail looked to her friend, realizing how pale he was, her decision was made.

Abigail headed cautionary to where the Dark Knight and the Nightwing were gathered with a bound Joker. Seeing the maniac that had hurt Jason, she instinctively lunged forward, grabbing a blade out of a sheath on her leg.

Seconds later, Joker felt an arm wrap around his throat, and a heavy weight settling on his back before a knife was stuck between his ribs. Stabbing in the heart.

*~PAGE BREAK~*

The Joker's suit was staining red with blood, his eyes gleaming as he began to chuckle. "All this time it took an unknown person to down the greatest of all…."

Batman lunged forward, knocking the girl off of Joker, when he saw the glint of the blade. Even as he did so, he knew that he wasn't quick enough.

The woman was startled as they impacted the ground but quickly regained her head. Rolling across the ground, Abby lunged upwards aiming to hit Batman. "That clown dies for what he did!" She spat, jumping forwards hitting Batman as she tried to reach the Joker.

Batman commanded, grabbing a forearm in his grip. "The Joker will pay for his crimes, but death isn't an option."

Stopped short as the much taller man held her arm, Abby glared. "He took the only person that was my family. I have wanted to kill him for years."

Nightwing, who had called reinforcements called out. "The Joker should live. It looks like our mysterious guest missed by a couple centimeters. Lucky us."

Hearing that the Joker would live, Abigail's head shot upwards. Remembering her fatal mission she tried to get out of the caped Crusader's grip. "Hood!"

Batman let go of her forearm, jaw dropping briefly. Both Nightwing and he followed as the young woman ran towards an alleyway on the edge of the explosion. She collapsed beside the blood stained figure. She covered her mouth, whimpering while hesitantly asking. "Hood?"

Seeing his adopted brother, Nightwing looked worriedly at his old mentor. Batman knelt beside the trembling gir, wrapping his arms around her. "I will help you save the Red Hood."

Abigail let the tears fall freely as the man slowly led her away. "I can't lose him…. I can't loose Red Hood. I just can't."

The words were a plea, a life line as Batman settled her in the Batmobile. Walking back to the alleyway, Batman helped his former ward carry his precious cargo to where the ambulances sat. Doctors trying to stabilize the green haired devil.

Doctor Carrie Frauline spotted them, ordering several underlies to help her. Seeing who it was, Dr. Frauline's sharp intake of was the only indication of unprofessional feelings. The rather petite doctor barked orders left and right. "Henley, I need an IV of fluids immediately. Jill, I want blood pressure and heart rate. Get a drip going if you have to. We don't want him going into shock. Tess, where's shears?" Dr. Frauline started to catalogue injuries, looking at the leg with the shard of glass. "I need his pant leg removed so that I have a better idea of his leg."

The doctor was in her element, yelling commands and asking questions. The area was complete chaos yet Frauline seemed at home as they got Jason on the hospital bed and loaded into the back of one of the ambulances.

Doctor Frauline turned around, pushing dripping strands of hair off her forehead as she took in the two protectors, "Don't worry about him, Bats. I will do all that I can to save him."

Batman lowered his head slightly, conceding to her. Carrie Frauline smiled wearily, before walking briskly to one of the response vehicles.

A caravan of flashing lights and sirens slowly wound their way through the streets of Gotham, heading towards the hospital. Nightwing asked as they left eyesight. "What about the girl, boss? She knows Hood. Pretty well from the looks of it."

Batman sighed, looking at the Batmobile. "I don't know. Hood never said anything about the girl."

Nightwing's eyes furrowed beneath the mask, "Looked to me like they were close. But how close exactly?"

Batman started to walk towards the car, leaving his protégé to leave also.


	2. Hospital visits

Batman stopped by the hospital, checking to see how Jason was doing. Doctor Frauline stated that Jason would be out of danger if he made it through the night.

"Can you put up another patient in his room?" Batman inquired.

DR. Frauline answered, wrinkles forming between her eyes. "Theoretically, yes. Why do you ask?"

"He had a companion. A Girl about seventeen with him. She's been in shock and denial since we've found him." The caped crusader crossed his arms, questioning.

Frauline nodded, writing something in Jason's file. "I'm sure another bed won't hurt. I'm still not sure if he'll come out of his coma."

Looking up, Dr. Carrie Frauline found that the Dark Knight had silently disappeared leaving behind a skinny, emotionally distraught teenager in his wake.

~* PAGE BREAK *~

Abigail sat on the bed, watching as the doctors and nurses surrounded the other bed. Jason just came out of surgery, still in the coma since Batman and Nightwing had found him. AS the next couple days went by, Abigail still kept her silent but watchful vigil over her friend. Jason had a breathing tube, hooked up to so many monitors and wires it physically scared her.

On the third day, a visitor came. He was tall and had blue eyes. If you didn't look closely you would have mistaken the two as brothers. In a way, I guess he really was Jason's brother.

He walked in, knocking hesitantly on the thick wooden door, introducing himself. "I'm Dick Grayson. I came to see Jason."

Abby looked up from her project of beads and string. "Hey. Jason never said much about you." Titling her head, questioning. "Why did you come?"

Dick shifted his feet, hands finding pockets under his suit jacket. "He's my brother. Why wouldn't I come visit him?"

Abby shrugged, glancing at the other bed's occupant. "He never said anything about family."

At that statement, Dick walked closer. "Were you two close?"

Abigail gave a bark of laughter, sounding similar to a fox. "You may call me Abigail, Grayson. Jason was my friend. More importantly then that he is my only family for a couple years now."

"It's nice to put a name to your face, Abigail." Dick smiled, settling himself against the window sill. Catching the way Abby acted today and how she was in that alley. It was starting to form a puzzle where the end result was a mystery.

"I found Jason a couple months after the Lazarus Pit. He was at the time taking out all of the crime in my section. We were on opposite sides that night, but when I pleaded for him to finish my life, he didn't." Abby's gaze softened as her fingers tangled themselves in her lap. "I just sorta tagged along after that."

Grayson looked curious, wanting to know more when Dr. Frauline entered, leaving after delivering a message and getting readings from Jason. "Mr. Grayson, visiting hours are unfortunately over."

Sighing, the young man unfolded himself from where he perched. "It was good getting to know where Jason has been since he's left Gotham. May I come and visit again tomorrow?"

Abby got off the bed, walking their guest to the door. "I would like that, as would Jason. He didn't talk much about his life….. Before, but I got the feeling that he was close to his family."

Dick smiled sadly, looking at his little brother. "He was a pain, but I miss it."

Abby nodded, "I was glad I got to meet part of his old family, Grayson."

~* PAGE BREAK *~

As the days continued and Jason still not coming out of his coma, Grayson visited every chance he got. Trying to cheer her up when she started to worry too much. The two soon developed a fond friendship.

Abigail's and by extension Jason's next guest was Alfred Pennyworth. The older gentleman didn't exactly show his feelings with words or tones. He brought her a book simply stating drily that it had once belonged to 'Master Jason and she must need to do something so as she wouldn't get bored.'

~* PAGE BREAK *~

Pain….. There was too much pain…. It was red hot, burning through his body…. He didn't want this pain….. Again. Everywhere he tried or turned … there was this ….. Pain.

Forcing himself to go with the waves of pain crashing into him. He saw light. Not knowing if it was good or bad, he stayed on the edge, simply hovering. Just wanting the darkness to take over again.

A voice came from the light, calling him by name. How? ….. How did they know his name? Why? ….. Why would they want to drag him from this peace? If he went towards the light, the only thing he had forbade himself from having would leave.

The voice called again, its sound melodious yet pleading. He didn't want to listen, wanting to rejoin the blackness. Why would the voice want him? Why plead for him?


	3. Unwanted Attention

Dick seeing his younger brother's crestfallen look joked. "You look like a girl walked out on you, Jaybird."

Jason's eyebrow rose, look seriously asking him if he used that nickname. "Abby hasn't gotten around to seeing me, I guess. She's probably trying to bribe Alfred for cookies, knowing her."

Dick looked confused, guessing Jason didn't know about the last twenty days. "She's been by your side for eight days straight, Jay. Why would she leave it…?" Dick looked like he just swallowed a rather distasteful piece of medicine, remembering something. "Bats has been tracking the Joker. He's been missing since a couple hours after you woke up. But how could she?" Dick left the end of his sentence incomplete, not wanting to make Jason worry any more.

Jason guess what could have happened. He started to rip off cords, hurriedly. Not caring if the machines started to beep. "When I get ahold of her…. Why doesn't she ever listen to anyone? Being too bull-minded for her own good. I swear sometimes…."

Dick crossed his arms, already settled on the end of the bed. Not even bothering to move from where he sat on his brother's legs, making an observation. "She's kinda like you. Minus the part where you being stuck here while she goes and does something foolish."

Jason fed up, leveled a glare at the older man, black hair laying messed up on his forehead. "Would you move so that I can drag her sorry ass kicking and screaming back to Harford, Virginia?"

Dick smiled cheekily in the face of anger, unrepentant. "Nope, see Alfred thought it might be a good idea if you stayed here. Where the Joker can't find you. Besides you are barely out of the hospital and you want to check yourself back in?"

Jason huffed with annoyance, throwing a punch. Making Dick either move or get hit. "Don't you ever stop talking?"

Dick smiled broadly, moving his head slightly. "I'm chatty, it's part of my charm. What can I say?"

Finally being free of restraint, Jason grabbed the bag of clothes that had been lying on the chair beside his bed. He yanked on his clean military pants and a long sleeved grey turtle-neck shirt before yanking on his leather jacket. Oddly noticing a stitched hole on his left forearm and smiled about it.

Dick observed as his brother stomped his feet into his boots before tying the laces quickly and efficiently. Bruce wouldn't have let any of his 'Robins' go out into the field without knowing two important things. Getting dressed in their uniforms quickly and knowing how to defend themselves. "Hey, where are you going?"

Jason, digging further into the bag and only coming up with Abby's spare jacket and pants, answered tartly. "Saving that fool- hardy, brainless squirt. Why I let her tag around in the first place I'm not sure, she's only been trouble." Underneath the gear, he found a note written in her elegant scribble, stating an address only. Finding his way blocked by the acrobat, he growled. "Get out of my way

Dick smiled cheekily. "Nope, not till you tell me something."

Jay's eyebrows rose, lines forming between his eyes as he tried to guess Dick's question. Having no such luck he finally asked. "Fine, what is it, Gypsy-Boy?"

"Tell me Truthfully, what does Abby mean to you?" Dick asked his question.

Jason looked at Dick Like he was in physical pain. ""She's practically my little sister! Hard Headed sure but I still have to save her sorry rear before Joker gets her."

Dick still didn't move, staring at Jason. Who was taller then him by two inches at six feet. "you really think you can take him? He put you in the Hosptital, Jay!" Grabbing his arm, he continued. "You've only been awake for only a few days. What makes you think you can beat the Joker?!"

Jason smiled grimly, pushing past and walking down the hallway. Dick who was following hear his brother toss back. "Because he has Abby. I made a promise almost eight years ago and I plan on keeping it."

Dick stopped cold, knowing now that Jason wasn't going to stop. "At least take me with you. I can help!"

Jason Shouted backwards. "Don't want or need your help, Circus Boy."


	4. Insanity

Three days after the Joker broke out

It was the Nurse's fault, she decided. Trying to find a position that stretched her cramped legs. She' been stuck quite literally in a gilded cage created for a bird, only human-sized. Abby was starting to see why Jason called him "Deranged mad man without any marbles in the first place."

It was the day she got desperately mad at Jason, yanking his breathing tube out and yelling at him. She didn't even know why she did that. But believing that she should get out, going to get some supplies, she had asked a nurse where she should go.

Turns out you should never trust a woman with a New Jersey accent that calls you 'Puddin' and points out the best supermarkets are deep in the Joker's territory. Especially when that same nurse turns out to be Harley Quinn, The Joker's sidekick and off and on girlfriend no less.h

So Abigail found herself literally scooped off the streets by and Ice cream truck. One that was blaring creepy as hell laughter and driven by a green haired freak. Where on Earth do you even find an Ice cream scoop that size anyways?

That was probably the most frightening part of her life up to that moment in fact, saying a lot when your mentor slash big brother was Jason Peter Todd and how he found her in the first place.

The door slammed shut, dragging Abby from her dreary thoughts. The Joker's laugh was the first and only indication of who it was before Abby found her face filled with creepy clown.

"So the little songbird hasn't started to sing, has she?" Joker pouted, theatrically. "I was so hoping BAtsy would drop by for a surprise party. It'll be a ttal blowout for sure!"

He cackled at his own joke, making shivers crawl up Abby's spine.

Gathering up the last strands of her courage and being brave, she retorted. "And if he doesn't come? Will it be a total bomb of a party?"

Joker smiled giddily, as he began to dance across the room. He pulled out normal party noise makers and toys. Stopping what he was doing and turning to face Abby, he asked. In his hand was a normal looking plastic toy gun. "You sure you don't betray dear ol' Batsy and join the fun side?"

Abby moved her hands to her lap, unsure about his latest question. She hoped that Jason or more importantly the Red Hood would come rescue her. Even if to her own ears that sounded so low and untrue. Jason was still in the Hospital for gosh darn it's sake. The Joker stopped clapping and doing his crazy little jig, coming to a stop in front of the bird cage again.  
"What no snarky reply? Cat got your tongue?" He imminadtely started to cackle hysterically. Abby watched as the Joker threw his head back and laughed long and hard. The lights flickered as a storm blew in suddenly outside. It made the man's eerie cackling all the much more frightful as Abby lost sight of the man for several moments before a big clap of thunder slammed out and outlined the clown.

Abby jumped thirteen inches with a yelp breaking through her lips as she stared at the man with full blown fear.

No, not now. Not now! Her brain demanded as the brunette wiped clammy hands on her dirty jeans. You're fine, Abigail! There is no Russian mafia after you... This is not Russia! Jason will save you.

Abby shook her head, fear climbing higher and higher, as she curled into herself. This was nothing like Russia and what she and Jason had experienced but it was similar and she couldn't control herself from breaking into blind panic.


	5. Rescues

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN/ There are scenes of violence and past animal cruelty in this chapter. I have tried to keep it to a minuim but This is Jason's story and you can't really not be write his story without this. I'm sorry if I have offended anyone but this was important to the story later on.

Chapter Five,

Rescues

 

Jason ran across the rooftop, the only actions were running then the jumping from the edge and falling down to the pavement before the grappling wire pulled the man into the air and landing on the next rooftop. Rinse and repeat. The red bike helmet was the only flash of color that you could see from the pavement. There was a sense of urgency to his movements, they aren't as fluid nor as smooth as the man's beside him.

The one in the lead stopped suddenly, thinking for a couple seconds before spinning around a corner and the two were falling once again. This was what Jason knew best- the underground world of crime and depravity. Not the Flashy lights, the million-dollar cars, and the fancy parties and guests. That was Bruce Wayne's world, but this… this was the world of Capes and masks. This was the world were all of the Robins found themselves in unprepared but came out as much more dangerous as their new names. This was the world that Jason Todd had been born into and would never forget.

The Red Hood came to a stop in front of a warehouse. The grey sheets covering the roof were covered in rust spots and the skylights that had been built in, didn't look like it could survive the next great storm. Around the outside on the ground, leaned everything you could imagine that you would find at abandoned buildings. Windows were boarded up and a lone light bulb flickered pathetically against the dark night. The pavement was cracked and grease covered and none of the boats or ships in the harbor was nearby.

In short, the warehouse was crude and it stank.

The large form that was Jason crouched on the roof opposite the way. His jacket wasn't impressive blowing sideways in the salt flavored wind like Batman's cape, but with his forearm propped on his knee as he leaned downwards was filled with the same dark and overwhelming energy.

Dick dressed as Nightwing stood beside the man, arms crossed as he watched. There was a small crook of a smile on the man's face, but Nightwing was one of the only Bats in Gotham that never stopped smiling it seemed like. And to the eyes of Gotham's citizens, they just couldn't understand why a guy that held so much happiness and joy and excitement would be partners with the dark and terrifying Batman in the first place.

"What are we doing here, Hood?" He questioned, having made it his appointed mission to make sure that the death tolls weren't too high. If in the conflict to find and rescue Abigail and the Joker was 'accidently' killed somehow… well, at least Gotham would sleep safer at night.

Jason spared no glance for the man, eyes picking up the fancy black sedan that drove up to the entrance of the warehouse. "Him."

One black door opened and expensive looking shoes stepped right into a greasy puddle. The man that followed looked to be as equally as expensive, the grey suit he wore was pressed and spotless. The man was large but not overly, but the kind that you expect from someone eating more then three square meals a day. The man had a receding hairline and his skin was unusually ruddy.

Red Hood spoke, preparing another grappling hook and took aim. "Stay behind me and don't do anything stupid, Pretty Boy."

"You know my rule: No death before nine." Nightwing spoke, knowing that this man who he still considered a brother probably wouldn't listen to him.

"I don't have that rule." Jason tossed backwards, swinging downwards and breaking the skylight of the building. The sound of shattering glass sent the men inside scattering in terror.

"The Bat's here!" "Let's beat it!" "Damn it Benny!" Rough, calloused voices cried, some of them deeper than others.

A loud 'thump' was heard just before "It's something a lot worse than Batman." A familiar growl was heard that sent the people of various shady backgrounds into more of scrambling.

Jason as the Red Hood pulled the first grey haired man to his feet, a pistol pointed at his forehead.

"Red Hood!" The man quivered, eyes opening to almost impossible proportions. "I de-de-did-didn't do no-no-not-noth-nothin-ing! I swear!"

The vigilante cocked the gun, as under the red helmet Jason smirked. "Well, we both know that's a lie. But tell me Benny, what do you know about a girl getting taken from the streets ten days ago?"

"What girl, Boss?" Benny trembled, eyes springing between the gun in the man's hand and the red helmet that gave the Red Hood his moniker.

"She was snatched up by a large ice cream scoop in your area, Benny." Red Hood supplied the information. Hood's tone was daring the man to lie to his face. "Tell me what you know or I'll have to go back on my promise. And don't think for a second that I don't know about the real reason you use this warehouse.

"N-n-no s-se-sir!" Benny quivered in fear, trying to remember what the man wanted to know. "There's a woman in the North side of town, she's called Piper. Rumor has it that su-somebody has finally appealed to the Clown and that he's under her control! Bu-bu-but none of us actually believed that. Can you imagine that clown actually followin' orders?"

Red Hood interrupted the man's rambling, snarling. "Get to the point Benny. My finger is getting' twitchy."

At those words, Benny the man of man shady dealings paled to a very alarming shade of white. It wasn't the white color of freshly starched right out of the package sheets, but white in the way it's exstremely hard to get blood out of your expensive new white carpet.

"Right, anyway. They say that Piper knows everything about what the Joker is currently up to. They say she prefers a building near the North City Park and Gotham stadium." Benny cried, his complexion still very pale.

Red Hood removed the barrel of his gun from the man's skin. "Thank you for sharing with the class, Benny." The tone used was anything but sincere. The ant-hero turned around and began to disappear within the shadows but stopped. Jason caught sight of Dick up in the rafters, communicating franitically to him. The Red Hood paused almost conflicted before he shrugged and shot Benny in the forehead anyway.

Nightwing hearing the shot, dove from the rafters. "Hood! We had a deal!" He exclaimed before the acrobat registered what had happened.

The man that still considered Jason to be one of his brothers glanced at the now dead dealer. A red puddle was beginning to form around his skin. The chair had been tipped backwards onto the floor and his skin color had gone deathly pale. Not that quite that grey color you see after a person has been dead fpr a while, but more of blue around the edges. Like when you have just finished chores and you forgot your gloves even though there's snow on the ground- that sorta bluish purplish color. Glassy brown eyes stared openly into the abyss.

Nightwing caught all of this and turned to the younger man. "Thought you two had a deal."

Red Hood snarled in fury, holstering the fired gun and stomped towards a large metal shipping crate. "We did but it included no trafficking and no dog fights."

On the side on the crate hung a large metal padlock. Seeing the rusting chain, Jason pulled his gun and shot it several times point blank. Once the lock had broken into pieces on the floor when tugged, Jason threw open the door. The smell hit them first- it was overpowering in the levels that wafted out to them. The air carried the smell of pee and blood and infection. Dick gagged on it, opening his mouth to find relief.

Jason pushed the nausea and reflex to vomit to the back of his mind, instead focusing on what was important. Inside of the dark crate were rows and rows of kennels. Inside each four by six by three cage lay a dog. Each of them was covered in various scars and open wounds. None of them were pretty to look at, but the dogs were all types. From Pit-bull to Great Danes to Red Healers. It didn't matter, but each of them were so skinny, that even with their thick coats of fur, you could still see the outlines of their ribs.

Seeing the people in the doorway, none of the dogs wagged happily, instead they growled or shied away. There was baring of teeth and loud threating barks.

"That's what I was afraid of." Jason hauled the acrobat upwards and inside. "If you think I was hard on that guy, imagine what DM would do, Wing Nut. She absolutely hates dog fight areanas.."

"What the hell were they doing to them?!" Nightwing asked, looking into the depths of one cage. Inside sat a female dog with running eyes; half of her muzzle had been torn off to show sharp and yellowing teeth. If the dog hadn't been covered in long and ugly scars, Dick would have thought that this was one of the circus' dogs from Haly's. Her grey coat was missing patches of fur and there on her left should was a injury so deep that Dick had to wonder how she was still alive. Puss was coming from her foreleg, the color not at all healthly.

"Making them fight eachother. It's how they make money. There are bets on who can survive the longest." Jason told him in disgust, walking in deeper and scanning each cage.

There were all sorts of breeds, but most were of a hunting or working breed. Several of them flinched backwards to the far wall when Jason walked past. The man tried to conceal his shudder at the treatment of these animals. If Abigail had seen this, the girl would have flipped a lid or something. It was what made her so special, Jason thought. Abigail would always see the good in everyone and everything, but mostly she was more likely to bring home strays then Dick. And that took a lot to even pass him in that department, Jason knew for a fact.

By the time they reached the end of the row, Jason was really wanting to resurrect Benny and then kill him in the most painful way possible. A bullet to the head was too an easy a death for that! Dick and Jason reached the end and there in the last cage was excited barking.

Dick stared at the red dog, his eyes picking up the snarls in his fur and how his once long fur was now matted and clumped. The dog, for he couldn't tell if it was a she or a he looked to be a golden retriever. His body was rather stocky and short. But Dick could see that his paws and his muzzle were both very large and big boned. The dog was actually fitting inside the small cage rather well. The former acrobat guessed that this dog hadn't been here for long. On his neck was tattered remains of a red and black bandanna.

Jason knelt in front of the cagem ruffling the dog's ears through the wire bars while he figured out how to chain-link fenced grate.

"Alright, Lucky. Let's see if we can't get you out of there alright?" The man spoke softly and kindly to the panting dog.

"Lucky? Where did you get a dog Red?" The fond name broke Dick into asking questions. The man had been quiet far longer then Jason thought possible and he had grown uncomfortable with him.

"He's not mine. Lucky belongs to Abigail. He went missing a couple days before the Joker broke out the first time. I had simply promised to get my sister her dog back." Jason commented finally swinging the door open.

As the opening was large enough, Lucky trotted out and sat at Jason's feet. The retriever' tail swished on the floor, while almond shaped hazel eyes stared adorningly up at his rescuers.

"Call the GCPD and Animal Control, we need to get to the North End. Find this 'Piper' and go get Abigail." Jason grumbled at Dick, the dog following devotedly


	6. Tough

Chapter Six  
Tough

They found the Piper just as the grey clouds decided to release their burdens. The Piper was holed up in an old apartment building. The crumbling rundown look on the outside fooled the viewer about the inside's condition. The interior walls no longer sported holes, new plaster covering them. Several paint cans sat under windows with a hammer laying on top.

Red Hood, Lucky, and Nightwing eased through through the sunset lit building. The various tools and ladders cast eerie shadows and made the three tense up.

The Piper found them first. Out of the darkness came a musical voice that almost sounded familiar. "Why are the Protector and a Known Criminal coming to visit Sweet innocent Piper?"

Red Hood growled, trying to find the speaker. "You're anything but innocent Piper. You take Kids!"

Piper moved swiftly through the shadows, her voice now hard as she poke to Hood. "I do not take children. I rescue them from being unloved and turning into the next monsters of Gotham. Isn't that what the Bat did with you, Robin?" She hissed the name angrily.

Nightwing interjected, seeing the way Jason was ready to pounce. The acrobat briefly wondered how the woman would know that Jason had been a Robin, but there were more important matters at hand. "We need your help, Piper. Words was it that you know something."

Piper's voice came floating from the shadows, her position long changed from her last sentence. "I know a lot of things, Smiling Bat." A musical laugh floated out as she continued. "What is it that you wish to know?"

Jason pounced, his words coming fast as he tried to pin the silent female. "Do you know of the girl who got taken by the Joker?"

Piper laughed softly. It was short and cynical. "Both of you know what happens to birds in the Joker's hands don't you Vigilantes?" The next sentence was whispered in Jason's ear. "But what happens to the Fox? Hmmm… That's a good question."

Jason spun around trying to catch a glimpse of the woman, but all he saw was the edge of a fluttering black cloth. "Just tell us where the Joker is hiding, Piper. I don't have time for your riddles and questions."

"Very well…." The woman heaved a sigh before the wanted information came. "If you are so keen to save your pet, I shall tell you. Check the old toy factory on the edge of town. It lies on Simon Way. That factory is a favorite of his."

Jason spun out of the room, already memorizing the route he would take. The golden retriever was close at his heels, knowing instinctively that this concerned his mistress. Dick stared into the darkness, telling the woman. "Thanks for the help. I'm sorry about Hood. He's a bit antsy without our sister around."

The Piper did not garner that statement with a reply as Dick dove through the window, following his 'brother'.

A woman who was tall and lithe finally emerged from the shroud of darkness. She was clothed in black completely. The only color that could be seen was the blood red hair that moved in an invisibly wind. The only skin visible was that of her face and it was pale as a sheet. Outside of the window that she had stepped in front of, the first bolts of lightning struck the ground.

It instantly rewarded the woman with brief light, highlighting the look of hatred in her bottomless green eyes before plunging the room back into darkness.

"Shall our brothers reach you in time Ms. Fox or shall I?" She questioned out loud. "I do believe that is the question to attend to immediately."

~*PAGE BREAK*~

Nightwing and Red Hood were caught in the storm several blocks from Piper's. The lightning and thunder appeared after the rain. Red Hood stopped on the street the two were on. The man stared up at the heavens briefly, his hand dropping to tap Lucky on the head. "Aw… Shit."

Nightwing, who had been following on the roof, wiped black strands of clumpy hair off his forehead. The man took running steps, bouncing atop of the edge and then dove downwards. His legs were straight but her his arms were spread like wings. As the acrobat neared the pavement, he did not pull out a grappling hook like his more sane brothers. Instead he grabbed the curved metal of the streetlight and swung to slow himself down. After his feet were below him, the man dropped, landing in a crouch before Jason.

"It's not that much further to the warehouse, we can probably make it."

Red Hood turned angrily on his brother. "You don't get it do you?"

"Hood, I'm trying to help. We can save her in a matter of minutes if we hurry." Nightwing was taken aback by the man's tone.

"It won't be enough, Wing Nut. Abigail doesn't do well with Thunderstorms. I never figured out why, but it's a trigger. Minutes could be too late. If the Joker is around when it happens…" Jason trailed off, the air filled with what could happen and none of it was pleasant.

Nightwing held up a pacifying hand, trying to calm the other. "SO we just have to hurry a little bit more." Before he headed out into the rain once again, Red Hood following him, and Lucky bringing up the rear.

~*PAGE BREAK*~

Almost nothing broke Abigail from the memories that she found herself trapped in. They were a hell of her own making. In those memories, Abigail relived that harrowing night every night since it had happened. It was in Russia, where her family and she called home. Secret Police barged through their door that night, grabbing her mother all the while rattling off lists of offenses. Abigail had only been about four at the time, but even she knew that to call someone Predatel' was bad.

FLASHBACK

It started out like any normal night for the family. Pappa would grab his wood carving and start to whittle while Abby leaned against the giant brown wingbacked chair, watching the flames. Some nights Pappa would sing, but most of the time it was of him calling Matb "Come sit, my Solavey. The dishes can wait for later perhaps, but our doch will not be so memnogo for so long."

"Not yet, Yasha, I am finishing these pots so that they aren't too hard, later." Matb was a slim woman, but brave and stronghearted. The people of the village where they lived claimed that Matb was to this day still holding the title of being the one who had climbed the farthest of the Ice Demon's mountain. Abigail didn't doubt it.

Her parents would often seem like they didn't get along with each other, but Pappa once told her that half the fun was in their arguing and Matb liked to be right the other half.

Her Pappa wasn't a big bear of a man like the other Russian soldiers that had come home. No, Pappa was tall as them but not a wide as a barn door. He was big enough to still pick Abigial up and toss her into the air and catch her safely, the room ringing with laughter and giggles.

Pappa often wondered how she even survived Russia winters this long, but deep down, both of them knew that Matb wouldn't let the weather get the best of her. Matb had red hair and blue crystalline eyes that showed her every expression. Abigail didn't remember much about the woman, but she did remember those eyes. They would become hard as a gem when Abigail got into trouble, but the next moment they would warm up like the pond in summer when there was mischief afoot.

Pappa would often fire back, eyes crinkling as he winked to Abby, "Now my little night Bird, our Doch isn't getting any memnogo, and letting pots sit for five minutes until bed won't hurt."

"Oh all right… Yasha, Malen'kiy Foks." Matb would always call Abigail a fox. It was one of the reason's she had chose her name to be a female fox. After convincing Jason to actually let her join up that was.

A thick heavy pounded on their door, Matb switched directions and started to head for the door. The woman's unusually expressive blue eyes turned to Pappa and Abby could see that they were pools of deep fear. They looked like the pool under the tree at the edge of town that the older kids went to go swim in during the summer. But now they weren't ice or filled with humor, they reminded her of when the ice started to shatter.

"Who is it?" Matb called, peeking through the thick curtain beside the heavy oak door.

"Akilina Dostoyevsky, you are under arrest for being a Predatel' to the government of Soviet Russia." A deep voice called out, as both Matb and Pappa froze. Terror was seen in both of their eyes as they glanced worriedly at Abigail.

"Hide her. I'll take care of them." Matb voiced silently, knowing that Pappa would understand the message.

Suddenly the door was broken down and four men barged into the room, that night. Pappa rose from his chair, pushing Abby into a closet, whispering, "Stay hidden Malen'Kiy Foks. No matter what happens and what you hear, don't come out until I or Matb come get you."

The door shut and Abby was left in the dark, for how long the girl couldn't remember. But it was long, Abby fell asleep, clutching an old scarf of her Matb's and wrapped in her Pappa's old army coat.

A Neighbor came early the next morning, swinging the already broken door open and the elderly woman called Casimir walked in. "What on earth happened here? Yasha, Akilina? Is everyone okay?"

Abby couldn't help the tears that fell, when the woman started to look for her parents. She knew then that Matb and Pappa were never coming back to get her then. It must have been the sniffling that made Casimir check the closet. The old strong woman pulled open the door and knelt seeing the girl.

"Avigeya?" the woman asked carefully, calling Abigail by her given name. "Are you okay, child?"

"Pappa and Matb… They took Pappa and Matb!" the four year old version of Abigail threw herself hysterically at the woman, tears pouring from her eyes. The two knew instantly who 'They' were. Heck, all of Russia knew.. It was the secret police, often called Cheka.

~*END FLASHBACK*~

Abby broke herself from the memories, when a large shattering sound echoed through the building. She pushed the face of her grandfather out of her mind, focusing on trying to get free of the cage she has been in for three days. The first part of her stay had been a broom closet actually, with no light what so ever. Abigail had lost track of all time when she couldn't see anything, but the girl was guessing that she had only been captive for maybe three days, but it was impossible to know for sure. It was near impossible not to freak out then, with only the darkness to surround herself by. She could still hear the ghostly guns firing their bullets.

"A fox in a bird cage." A woman snarked, coming out of the shadows. "There is something very odd about that, now isn't it?"

Abby froze, still kneeling next to the cage's lock. How did this woman know that she was a Fox? "I think you have someone else mistaken for me, lady."

Laughing, the woman eased closer. Her movements were like waves moving onto the sand. You couldn't tell were one ended and another step began. "No, I don't think so, Abigail Sara Barnes."

How the bloody hell did this woman know her full name? "Who are you?!" Abby asked, her tone now sharp as a blade. This woman was starting to rattle her. But as her features became more distinct, there was something oddly familiar. And the odd distinctive syllable was something that reminded her of something, but she couldn't tell who or what.

"I'm Piper, dear. And the Joker has made me very angry, but first let's let you stretch your legs, shall we?" A kind look came onto her face, as she produced a set of skeleton keys from a hidden pocket.

"Why are you helping me?" Abigail asked doubtful, as she swung out of the cage. The movement hurt like hell. Abby's muscle's hurt when she stretched them for the first time in days but she pushed that pain to the back of her mind, focusing on her rescuer.

Piper replied, her features causing Abigail to pause. "Because, Malen'kiy Foks, I know what it's like."

The woman called her, Little Fox, making Abigail halt. "Who are you?!" The seventeen year girl asked.

"Me?" Piper pointed at herself, curiously. "Why no one important, it's just simple ol' Piper."

"You called me by a Russian name." Abby accused, eyes growing harder. "I'm only gonna ask once. Who… The…Devil…Are….You?"

Piper smiled, as if Abby told a joke, one that must be clear to the both of them. "Not the devil, dear Foks, but close." She leaned inwards, stage whispering. "Try, Demon."

"Whaa?" Abigail leaned backwards, trying to piece the puzzle pieces together. This woman was not making sense to her at all.

"Oh yee of little faith.." Piper pulled an old bronze brooch shaped like a cat sitting on a blue jewel and caressed the bottom gem. The largest of the three, with two tiny emeralds placed in the circle, making it look like an earth globe. "I hope you don't still get motion sickness, dearie. This can be a little harsh on the stomach."

Abby felt the pin being clipped to her vest before a golden glow enveloped her form and sent her tumbling.

The girl didn't know what was up or down, the room beginning to feel like the sixteenth time Jason convinced her to do that Black Hole ride with him. Worst mistake of the night, Abigail came out of that ride looking like her innards were all scrambled.

Needless to say, Jason would only be doing those types of rides by himself in the future. When the room finally stopped spinning, Abigail fell to her butt, eyes tightly closed and hands over her mouth.

When she finally opened her eyes, Abigail found herself looking at glass cases. The one directly in front of her held a torn mask laying on top of two metal rods with blue stripes. The room she found herself in was large and open, streaks of moonlight were let in by the large windows on the second level.

"Nooo…" Abigail whispered, recognizing those escrima sticks anywhere. What happened to Nightwing?! Turning to the side, the distraught girl found herself face to face with Nightwing's stone statue, proudly standing. But even the hard surfaces could not hold the same lightness like the real person. The Dick she knew almost seemed like he could fly, there was a limitless energy about him, but this… This statue hurt more than anything.

Scrambling to her feet, the girl spun around and came face to face with a heavily ripped flag standing in a stand. The now faint burnt colors were probably once blue and silver, but now only grey. Stepping closer, Abby placed her palm on the weapons wondering where and when she was. Unbeknownst to her, the girl had triggered one of the many silent alarms in the building.

~*PAGE BREAK*~

Oracle was the mistress of knowledge, everyone knew this. She was the information broker for the hero community, if there was something about to happen, they usually went to her for details. So it was no surprise that the red haired woman was the first to be alerted about the intruder in the hall of justice.

Spinning in her wheelchair, the former Batgirl flicked through holographic screens, pulling up the camera footage.

"Now, who decided it was a good idea to steal from the hall of fallen heroes?" The strong woman asked rhetorically, zooming in to catch a glimpse of the suspect's face. "Now just look over here, just a few more inches…" The woman mumbled, trying to get a good look at her face.

When the girl finally glanced upwards, Barbara Gordon, widow of Richard Grayson, The most powerful woman on the planet, wished that she hadn't. Maybe then, she could go about living her life in a way that didn't force her to remember this girl. Once upon a time, Barbara wished for nothing but Abigail Wayne to reappear, double questioning everything she ever did.

Had she trained her former apprentice well enough? Was there an alarm that she didn't catch? Had Oracle become too distracted by Dick's death and didn't prepare Abby correctly?

So it was with a heavy heart that Oracle tapped the ear piece in her ear. "Oracle to Red Hood."

A growl echoed from her ear, making Barbara smile grimly. "What? I'm in the middle of something, O. This had better be good."

"Oh it is, Red Hood. There's a breaking and entering in the Hall. I need you to check it out." Oracle replied, crossing her arms and leaning backwards. There were few things that would get Jason away from his list of names and what he liked to deem as taking out the trash, but the hall was a big one.

He had been just as partial to that young girl as she did, only he saw her as more then just a protégé… Jason saw Abby as his sister. And the two of them knew the dead don't come back….well, not always.

"What?!" There was gunfire and yelling seeping through the comm lines before Jason got back on.

"I can't do anything from here, Hood, but the person that is inside…well, let's just say it's better if a familiar face showed up?" Oracle told him smoothly, hiding any unrest that working with her former brother in law brought her.

"There's something you're not tellin me, O, and I want an answer." The man spat.

"I know…. Trust me on this please." Oracle sighed, debating whether to let the other know or not. If this was Abby, their Abby, then he deserved to know more than anyone else out of the Bats and the Birds. Abby was his little sister. "I think it's Abigail…"


	7. I hear your voice but you're not really there

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And now these chapters will start becoming quite confusing for a lot of you.   
> Every other chapter, I tend to try and switch POVs and that'll bounce between any of the normal Bats- which aren't canon, and Abby. I hope that'll help set some of you guys straight, otherwise you'll just have to read and understand.

Chapter Seven

I still hear your voice but you're not really here.

Jason hated going to the hall of Justice. It reminded the man of his biggest failures, but it shed a more unique light on the second Robin's death. However, Jason would never be Batman nor Bruce.

A part of the man whispered that Oracle hadn't even bothered to call him, letting the man to continue to push Abby into a past image. Something unattainable to him. Abby meant too much to him, and the vigilante had enough ghost in his past as it were.

But another part, one that still mourned the young woman felt exhilarate and couldn't believe it. Jason himself come back from the grave, so why not Abigail?

Looking around himself at the piles of bodies and the remains of a very fancy apartment, the Red Hood left his handy work behind as he headed for the window.

*~ PAGEBREAK ~*

Settling herself, Abigail tried to take stock of what might've happened when Piper pinned that cat pin to her. The Teenager glanced at the various statues, some looking older then others.

"Well, it's probably time-travel or interdeminsional." She noted, looking t the statute of a hero she had never heard of.

The statue woman stood proud with arms across her bosom and her feet in a shoulder wide stance. The sculptor did a good job of creating the woman lifelike with only a few details missing. To Abby, this was someone that felt rather familiar, the similarities whispering in the back of her head.

The woman was tall, about Abigail's height she guessed. The symbol on her chest was that of a bat, but the rest of her armor was solely unique. In her hands, she clutched a flurried up flag, the stone fabric pooling overtop her knee high armored boots.

Looking closer, Abby read the plaque at the bottom. "In Honor of Lisily, who fell in battle of the fight for Earth."

The name Lisily sparked a memory in Abby, a phrase spoken in Russian that she had all but forgotten. But the sudden footfalls that were threading heavily sent the girl scrambling for the shadows behind the heroes before the words could hold a meaning.

~*PAGE BREAK*~

"Explain exactly what you saw, Oracle." Jason demanded, having not found a trace of anybody.

"I told you, Abigail is somehow at the Hall, Hood." Oracle pulled up camera footage, cycling through it as she tried to pinpoint the girl. But the images only held a slight shadow cast to the edges, the blur not at all distinct.

"Give me couple seconds, she could be using the shadows and the black areas to be invisible to me."

"Right, you do you're thing. I'll do mine." Jason told her, heading with caution to find the teenager.

Catching flash of metallic leather jacket, Jason spun around. He could have sworn he heard eerie cackling.

"You're right about someone being in here, O. But I don't think it's who you want it to be." Jason radioed into the tower. His eyes were trying to pinpoint the other.

Several Half Hours Later

"Oracle, I've been over this hall for an hour. I'm not finding anyone. Are you sure that you aren't experiencing technical difficulties?" Jason spatm tiredness showing in his tone.

"My equipment is just fine." Oracle' voice was full of wounded pride.

"Well something is wrong then, because there is literally no one hee-" Jason broke off, hearing a clattering in the background, followed by some rather colorful wording left the man oddly curious.

"Hold on, Oracle. I think I have something." Jason told her.

PAGE BREAK

When Abby tripped over her feet, it nocked over a display case holding some priceless artifacts. Watching it fall in slow motion, the young woman froze. It wasn't her that did the cussing. Spinning around, the five foot seven inch tall teenager was face to face with a red haired Archer.

Once the man paused for breath, Abby smiled shyly and gave a small wave. "Hey."

"You're supposed to be dead." The Archer told her, arms crossing over his chest.

Abby looked down at herself then back up at the archer. "I don't feel dead." She said curiously.

That garnered a snort from the man as a small smile appeared on his face. "You would say that. So what brought ya back? Lazarus Pits? Reality Shattering Punch?* Or was it something else?" The man asked as his former partner appeared behind Abigail.

"Actually it was a glowing cat pin." She told him, not aware of the pistol butt coming down on her skull. Wide eyes fluttered shut as the girl fell forwards, the red haired man catching her weight. The man grunted to the Red Hood. "A little warning would've been nice Jason. I don't remember her being this heavy."

Jason holstered his guns and came closer. The man carefully hefted the girl up and headed out. "You coming Roy?"

The red haired man grinned, slapping the red leather of his pants and hurried to catch up with the other. "Are you kidding me? If this is Abigail, then I'm gonna get a front row seat to this show."

PAGE BREAK

Abby felt the unfamiliar cold seep into her bones as she awoke along with being assaulted with several male voices yelling angrily at each other. One voice she recognized as Jason, the man did not sound happy. "If the girl lying in that bed is Abigail, I'll eat my mask, Roy. Abby is dead! There's no changing that fact."

"And all I'm saying was so were you, Jay. You died, but you came back. Why can't the same thing happen to Abby?" The other man, who must've been Roy asked, sounding tired.

"Because as much as we all want Abigail back, her going through that Pit is a curse! It twists you, gets into your head!" Jason spat, anger and pain overlaying his every word.

Abby knew briefly what her brother was talking about, he tried so hard to shield her from the demons that sometimes he didn't succeed. She knew a little of what happened to him before and during his stay with Ra's- it wasn't pleasant in the very least.

"Ow…" The girl clutched at her head, after swinging her legs off the bed, halting her movements.

Hearing the girl's cry of pain, the two broke of their argument, and rushed to her side.

"Careful, kid. Jason hit you rather hard to knock you out before we brought you here." The red haired man was the one that spoke, not Jason. He slightly reminded the girl of an old friend that Jay was always going on about in his titans' days- Roy Harper.

Jason was older, that she could see, but it wasn't the older less recklessness that scared her, it was the look in his eyes. It was blue, so bottomless with no light or hope. Those eyes that looked at her were not those of her Jason's. Not her Jason's anyways. They were hopeless- Her Jason had hope… Her Jason had her.

"Well how else was I supposed to bring her here? You really think I'm just gonna let people walk into a top secret base that has been running for years?" Jason asked, crossing his arms. "Who do you take me for? A speedster or an Arrow?"

"Yes, yes, everyone knows you Bats and your paranoia with any and every thing." Roy snarked back, shooting his friend a look before facing the girl again. "But I did say that she was pretty close to the original Abigail. You didn't have to hit her quite as hard."

Abby rolled her eyes, pushing herself to standing. "It's me, Jason. Who else wouldi t be?"

Jason told her seriously, rubbing the back of his neck. "How can we be sure it's you and not an imposter?"

Abby remembered the Cat pin and Piper problem. "The night we met, I wasn't the one to find you first. My father was. He thought you would be a good protector while he continued with trying to find my mother." Abby replied, unsure if this was even her universe or not. That pin could have sent her to a different universe and unless she figured out which it was, she wasn't going to limit her options.

"Well that was helpful. Now, how did you get into the Hall?" Jason demanded. Hearing the answer, Abby breathed slightly easier.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." Abby bantered back, pushing past the two tall men put of the medical wing. What was it about being tall and strong and menacing men became heroes? Seeing the cave walls, the girl sighed- Jason never justified not telling her the layout to this place, so unless one of the two gave her a tour, she was once again a prisoner.

"Try me, kid. I'm a superhero and I fight people who are criminally insane." Jason doubted anything the short brown haired girl had to say was going to shock him.

"Fine, I was captured by the Joker, a woman rescued me who she called herself Piper and pinned a cat pin on my vest before its eyes became to glow and I landed in the Hall. Shocking?" Abby crossed her arms, spun on her heel and rattled off her day.

"You're right, I don't believe you." Red Arrow- or was it Arsenal now? – told her, having never heard this one before.

"The Cat Pin was the key to me being brought here." Abigail told them, a faint memory of Jason describing Gotham to her at the back of her mind.

"Never heard of this pin before, but there might be someone who does." Jason grabbed his helment and checked his guns before heading towards the row of bikes and cars sat. The man skipped over the blue and Robin's, sitting on a plain black but sleekly built one.

"I'm coming as well!" Abbby grabbed her leather metallic jacket which had been on the end of the bed, slipping it over her ratty baseball shirt. Seeing a polished dark blue and silver bike that instantly caught her attention, she slipped onto the seat. The symbol which each bike bore differently was one she had never seen before.

"Since everything is normal for you Bats, I should probably head back to Star City." Roy yelled over the motorcycles' roars. The man knew that any help he tried to give would be unappreciated and not welcomed.


	8. Tough times don't last, Though People do

Jason and Dick arrived at the address where Piper had told them to go. The location was indeed an abandoned toy factory but it certainly wasn't one holding Abigail. The Joker had left noting but glass beakers and vials laying haphazardly on tables, the chemicals inside no doubt dangerous. Looking around the two realized something.

"I can't believe that Piper managed to play us!" Jason angrily threw his hands up, having not seen the woman's trap.

"Since she's not here, where to?" Nightwing questioned, hands drumming on the side of his leg. Dick knew of one man that would know where the Joker was holed up- he just had to present it in a way that Jason didn't feel like he needed to lash out, like last time. He had checked with Bruce earlier on the whereabouts of said clown- the Joker was currently under lock and key in the Asylum. But Jason didn't know that and this Piper was definitely a new player to be taken seriously.

Jason pulled the Red helmet off, running his gloved palms through his hair. Tonight, the man wasn't wearing two masks, revealing such pain and darkness in his blue orbs. When Dick had first met the man after the Pit, those eyes were full of fire and green- the same green of that water- now they were dead. Those expressive eyes held only darkness, clouded with grief. Dick didn't know what to do- this was Jason- he fought till he couldn't then he fought some more.

"We'll find her Jason." The elder answered him, falling easily into the role of the older brother again.

"What makes you so sure of that, Wingnut?" Jason asked angrily. They were looking for a single person among four billion in a limited time frame. "We're back to square one and both of us know how dangerous the Joker is when the creature isn't making a ruckus."

Dick was known for many things, but the one that made people so loyal to him was his loyalty and his face value trusting. The things he weren't known for were a very short list that his brothers held over his head every once and again.

"You're the Re Hood, Jason. I'm Nightwing and I know in my gut that we will rescue her. And the reason why is so very simple." Dick was probably suicidal right now because of his actions but he continued easily.

"Don't finish that." Jason instantly knew what the man was trying to quote and he knew he was going to ruin it miserably.

"It's because we're big damn heroes," Nightwing flipped over to where Jason was, still quoting. "And we'll arrive just in the nick of time. We always do." The man continued, oblivious to Jason's groan of pain. The younger was busy complementing making his brother's life so very painful, but the elder didn't care.

Dick saw the way Jason's frown was starting to slip, his green eyes staring stonily at him, but that small little crease that he got right between the eyes proved otherwise.

Jason let a small smile slip, fighting to not let it show. "Are you finished insulting the greatest TV show on Earth or shall I put you out of your misery now?"

"Now we have a sister to find." Dick replied, still walking around and mentally cataloging everything he saw that was potentially a weapon. Which was everything.

"Since when did Abigail become your sister?" Jason asked, skirting with caution around the spilled contents on the floor- acid can be a pretty nasty thing.

A shadow slipped past the two unnoticed, the figure was slim and elegant like that of drapes in front of an open window. It almost seemed to float across the room to the table of chemicals where it grabbed some jars and left, dropping behind a folded piece of paper.

Jason spun around, hand reaching for his gun, hearing a clattering sound but only saw a lone beaker rolling back and forth on the table. Its blue-ish green contents pooling to the floor. Instantly alert, Jason spotted the note almost instantly. The man gingerly picked it out of it's chemical pool and read the message.

' _Birds and Bats._

_To find your pet, you must complete these riddles:_

_First, what works endlessly without pleasure but never comes out on top? Second, you must find the bird that was eaten by the Cat, it's wings first clipped by a happy man. Third, the house on the hill is overflowing with laughter. So much so that they let two cards go. Where the King is, the Queen of spades is not. The Joker trumps Deuce. The sky's the limit, but the jester lies in wait of the nest. Your Punchline needs one more to be hilarious and then die. Where does the Cold meet the metal? The sky and water, but not the glamour of the future? Only then will you find your trapped Fox._

_-Piper Solovey.'_

Reading the clues, the once second Robin still couldn't figure out the message. During his tenure as the famous Dark Knight's sidekick, Jason had to do the detective work and he had been good at it, but they didn't have time to work their way through this many conundrums and save Abby with relative less injuries. But maybe Replacement was good for things like decoding secret enigmas and that sort of crap.

"Hey Wingnut!" The younger cried out, glancing around the room one last time to make sure that there was nothing else he was missing. "Hate to say this but we're going to the Cave."

Dick popped out of several rows of tall shelves holding many types of explosive material. "What? Why would you go to the Cave? Did something happen?" Seeing the almost pointed look Jason was giving him through the helmet, he added. "Well, something besides the whole civilian female with very little fighting experience in the clutches of Joker whose whereabouts are at this moment unknown?"

"We got ourselves a couple of riddles that need figurin' out and little Red is useful for those kinds of things." Jason told him, folding the note carefully and placing it in a plastic evidence bag and then a pocket of his iconic leather jacket.

"These look to be from Riddler, but it's not quite his style, I think." Dick nodded his head, outside appearance showing his agreement of his brother's plan- while inside he was shouting from the rooftops. _Jay was willing to come to the Batcave and by extension- the Manor!_ This was something he had been trying to set in motion since the return of the wayward bird. Up to that moment, the older man had yet to see any success.

* * *

 

_~* INSIDE THE BATCAVE *~_

Jason cut the engine of his bike- the echoing stone now devoid of the dull roar. He kicked the kickstand down, harder then what he would normally do. Abby was his responsibility and he had sworn to her father that he'd protect her- now look at where she ended up! The man was only here looking for the Pretender and he would leave as soon as he found the teenager. Bruce didn't need his help against the crime in Gotham, the man never did agree with his ways, why would he change now? Just because Dickiebird makes a big fuss about them being family and family looks out for each other and blah… blah… blah.

Jason loathed to admitting when he needed other people's help, but if it brought back Abigail quicker it meant all of their necks would be safer in the long run, not that the others would believe him if he said why that was. If it meant that much, then he would brave the Cave for a few days…. Possibly.

"Jay, before you get all fired up and ready to kill the youngest two, try to see things from Abby's view, kay?" Dick, always the peace maker and the ever loyal son. Why couldn't Jay be like that? Instead of simply being _'a good soldier'_ \- why couldn't Bruce see him as more then a Robin- a sidekick? The _dead_ sidekick?

"I'm only staying here long enough to drop off this letter, Dickiebird. Don't get your tutu into such a knot." Jason tried to sound nonchalant, but it came across much harsher the he pictured. Seeing Tim still at the computer, doing who's guess is what changed the man's ground eating stride.

"You think that's an insult? The strongest woman I know is Ballerina." Dick called after him, still standing where he had parked the Wing-cycle.

"Hey Replace-Tim. I need your help deciphering something important." Jay called out, hand reaching for the inside pocket of his leather jacket.

"Hmm?" Tim brushed his hand through his hair, still deeply immersed in what looked to be rows upon rows of ones, twos, and threes. "I'll be finished soon, Alfred. Just a couple more minutes."

Mistaking Alfred for Jason, earned a snort from the man. Of Alfred was getting on Pretender's hide about Bat-stuff, the dectective wasn't any use to Jason or Abby at all. "Okay…." Jay hesitated over his name. "Tim, time to go to bed."

"Jason?" Feeling hands propelling the tiny seventeen year old up from the chair, Tim finally left the world of endless binary and linear coding. "How? Why are you here?"

"Dickiebird convinced me to come to the Cave so we can find Abigail more easily but you look like you're about to pass out."

Tim immediately replied with the only thing that entered his mind at the moment. "Sleepiness in weakness of character, ask anyone."

"And…. That's a sign you need to get a little more sleep right now, Timmers. I'm not going to argue with someone who is quoting Firefly to me." Jay guided the younger up the stairs after making sure that both of them were in civilian clothing. Alfred was pretty strict on that rule and how he got back at them just wasn't fair at all.

"How do I know you're not gonna kill me in my sleep?" Tim questioned as the two emerged from the secret doorway in the study.

Jason internally sighed. Who knew that Replacement was even more paranoid when he was almost collapsing from exhaustion?

"Timmers, for the last time. If I had wanted to kill you, I'd do it face to face and you'd know it." Jason reasoned with the younger, pushing his slip of a brother easily out of the study and up the grand staircase.

"I believe you." Tim trailed off, his body falling forward as the teenager finally collapsed.

Jason grunted, catching the youngster's body. The two were still only halfway up the stairs. Sighing, Jason rolled his eyes and swung his fledgling brother up in bridal style. Jason carried his little brother to his room and by extension- bed.

As Jason slipped the slight boy under the feather-down, Tim mumbled, hand going limp as he flung it over the side. "Missed you, Jay."

His words caused the elder to freeze, terrified that Tim had woken up. After everything he had gone and did- Tim, who he tried to kill numerous times was still welcoming him home with open arms. Albeit limp arms at the moment. It made Jason stop and actually think about what he was going to do with those that he called themselves his family. The way Tim acted tonight reminded Jason of something he hadn't thought about in years.

* * *

 

_~*Flashback*~_

Jason didn't exactly knew his own personal reasoning's to return to that spot- the site of his former life now buried- but he did. Maybe it was to see the impact of him not being a part of the Batfamily anymore, but he was not expecting a tiny stick of a kid in a Robin suit to be curled up facing the headstone. Jason hated that piece. Bruce didn't buy anything elaborate or money-looking' thing –which disappointed the boy…. Almost.

It was the words. They read 'Jason Peter Todd. 1988-203' underneath that sat 'A Loved son & brother.' Did Bruce really not see himself as his father? Why would Jason want to keep the name of the man that only gave him black eyes and broken bones? Bruce had been more of a father to him than anyone, and Dick- Dick hadn't even bothered to acknowledge his existence up to that stupid, stupid trip to Ethiopia.

"They miss you Jay, you wouldn't mind me calling you Jay, will you?" The sudden hesitant voice almost caused Jason to break from his spot in the shadows till he realized that th boy was addressing the grave. His actions, the almost familiar way the young boy sat and spoke- describing his everyday was, dare he say it? Those actions were familiar.

"Dick and Bruce had another fight, Jay. It was about you being Robin, again." The boy bowed his head, as the beginning of a rainstorm fell onto of the two lone occupants in the Wayne Family cemetery. "I don't want you to feel like I stole your right, I didn't. I did this for Bruce and Batman."

The boy's explanation earned a silent snort, Jason rolled his eyes and crossed his arms, waiting for the excuse.

"Batman is the Darkness, he preys on our fears, but he needs a Robin, Jay. Robin is the light, the hope, that little spark inside of us refusing to die and give in." The Boy's voice gained strength as he spoke, sitting straighter. The boy placed a moonlight pale hand on the stone as he continued his explanation. "You showed me to be brave, to laugh in the face of danger and to always fight. I wish you were here, Jay. Maybe then it'll feel more of a family if I had an older brother here."

Jason had been so prepared to hate the slip of a kid, but hearing the last part f what looked to be a nightly ritual, Jason swore he wouldn't end up being Dick when he first joined the Waynes. Jason watched the boy pick himself up, grasping the mask while he made his way indoors again.

After the newest Boy Wonder disappeared, Jason stuck his hands into the pockets of his hoodie and left the graveyard without a second glance. Whatever his reasons for first going there didn't matter anymore. Plus Talia was probably worried about him anyway. Jason had promised a certain seven year ninja child to teach him the use of batarangs.

_~*FLASHBACK END *~_


End file.
